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 Do you have an accessible website and legacy software at your company? Recently, a lawsuit against Domino's Pizza has brought the issue of software accessibility to the forefront.

According to the lawsuit, a blind customer claimed the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not allowing him to order pizza online through their website. A lower court ruled that Domino's failed to meet standards, and the Supreme Court upheld that decision, refusing to reexamine the verdict.

After this news broke, many companies reexamined accessibility and took steps to ensure digital or software accessibility.

Accessibility, however, is not what it seems. For example, how can accessible applications be created? In addition, how can you ensure that your software products comply with all relevant regulations as a project manager or product owner?

To determine if your applications are accessible, here DFY SaaS has outlined a checklist that helps you decide what can be done if they aren't.

Accessibility: What Is It?

An accessible digital product or service is one that is easily accessible to people with disabilities. In the United States alone, nearly 20 percent of the population describes themselves as having a disability. Different types of disabilities exist, such as blindness, hearing impairments, cognitive impairments, neurological impairments, physical disabilities, and speaking disabilities. With the advancement of technology, accessibility has never been more relevant.

Checklist for Software Accessibility

For product owners, the checklist below outlines what teams need to do to ensure their digital applications are accessible. Using it is also helpful to determine ifpreexisting apps are accessible.

·         Consider accessibility at the planning stage of a project to ensure accessibility is a priority.

·         Check out the US Department of Justice's software accessibility checklist online. In this way, you can determine if your plans comply with guidelines (or not)

·         Make accessibility a part of your development schedule and budget before you begin.

Software accessibility is greatly affected by the following items, so keep them in mind during development:

Keyboard Access: Keyboard equivalents for mouse actions, keyboard function documentation, and logical tab ordering.

Screen Elements: A description and label of the element placed nearby.

Sound Files: Aside from audio files, sound files also have visual cues and format options. Captions of on-site videos should be in sync.

Color & Display: Color isn't the only way to distinguish items or navigation; display can remove patterns or flashing elements.

Documentation: Electronic and ASCII text file versions of manuals and documentation are available.

Alt Text: Make sure the alt text and description associated with the images are included.

Audio and Video Transcripts: Podcasts and other media need transcripts.

Ensure that your application works with assistive technology commonly used by people with disabilities, at the very least a screen reader.

Try to test software applications under the same conditions users will encounter them. For instance, use alternate input devices, voice recognition software, or screen enlargement software.

During the testing phase, take note of any bugs or roadblocks.

The software accessibility checklist will help you determine whether your app or software meets basic requirements. Accessibility standards across digital formats are available at Usability.gov.